1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to vehicle sound emitting technology for informing a person in an area surrounding of the vehicle that the vehicle is moving, or is about to move, in an advancement direction, e.g., forward or rearward. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus that emits a notification sound to inform people of the existence of the vehicle.
2. Background Information
Some vehicles have a very quiet operating sound and/or moving sound (including a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine). For example, an electric powered vehicle such as an electric car configured to be electrically driven (EV drive) using only an electric motor is typically very quiet while operating and/or moving. Also for example, a hybrid vehicle having an electric drive mode (EV mode) in which the vehicle is driven solely with an electric motor is typically very quiet while operating and/or moving. In such very quiet vehicles, the operating sound and/or moving sound (vehicle information) such as the existence of the vehicle, an intent of a driver as indicated by a gear shift or other operation, an advancement direction of the vehicle (forward or reverse), a vehicle speed and/or other traveling condition of the vehicle are often not perceivable to a person in a surrounding area of the vehicle by emitting a notification sound to the outside of the vehicle. Thus, while typically it is desirable for the occupants of the vehicle to have a very vehicle, there are times when it is desirable for the vehicle convey the existence of the vehicle to a person in a surrounding area of the vehicle by emitting a notification sound to the outside of the vehicle.
Meanwhile, among the aforementioned vehicle information, it is preferable from a safety standpoint to notify a driver that a reverse range has been selected when the driver has performed a shift operation changing to the reverse range, which relates to the advancement direction of the vehicle. Emission of such a reverse range selection notification sound inside a vehicle cabin is not limited to vehicles whose operating and moving sounds are quiet. It is common to emit a reverse range selection notification sound inside the vehicle cabins of regular gasoline engine-driven vehicles as well. The reason for emitting a reverse range selection notification inside the vehicle cabin is that it is possible for a driver to put a vehicle into the reverse range accidentally when the driver actually intends to drive forward. If the driver then depresses an accelerator pedal without realizing the vehicle is in the reverse range, then the driver will experience panic when the vehicle moves in a direction opposite from the direction in which the driver intended to drive. Thus, it is preferable to emit a reverse range selection notification in order to inform the driver that the reverse range has been selected and to avoid the situation just described.
An example of a known conventional notification sound emitting apparatus configured to deliver a vehicle information notification to both a cabin interior and an outside of a vehicle is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 07-322403. This publication proposes a cabin interior notification sound emitting source for emitting a notification sound to a cabin interior of the vehicle and a vehicle exterior notification sound emitting source for emitting a notification sound toward an outside of the vehicle. A speaker or a buzzer is used as each of the notification sound emitting sources. With this conventional vehicle notification sound emitting apparatus, the vehicle information notification sounds can be emitted separately to both the cabin interior and the outside the vehicle. Thus, notification sounds are simultaneously conveyed to the cabin interior (a driver) and people in an area surrounding the vehicle.